Shelley Fabares
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Michele Ann Marie "Shelley" Fabares (; born January 19, 1944) is a retired American actress and singer. She is known for her television roles as Mary Stone on the sitcom ''
The Donna Reed Show ''The Donna Reed Show'' is an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the middle-class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz co-stars as her Pediatrics, pediatrician husband Dr. Alex Stone, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage childr ...
'' (1958–1963) and as Christine Armstrong on the sitcom '' Coach'' (1989–1997), the latter of which earned her two
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
s nominations. Her film roles include playing the leading lady to
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
in '' Girl Happy'' (1965), '' Spinout'' (1966), and '' Clambake'' (1967). In 1962, her recording of " Johnny Angel" reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.


Early life

Fabares was born in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...
on January 19, 1944. She was born to James Alan Fabares (1909-1977), who was born in
Algiers, New Orleans Algiers () is a historic neighborhood of New Orleans and is the only Orleans Parish community located on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. Algiers is known as the 15th Ward, one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans. It was once home to many j ...
, and Elsa R. Eyler, who died from Alzheimer's disease in 1992. She has an older sister Nanette ("Smokey"). She is the niece of actress Nanette Fabray (née Fabares). She graduated from
North Hollywood High School North Hollywood High School (NHHS) is a public high school in the North Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is in the San Fernando Valley and enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Several neighborhoods, including m ...
in 1961.


Career


Early TV appearances

Fabares's acting debut was at the age of 3. At the age of 10, she made her first appearance on television in an episode of '' Letter to Loretta'', "The Clara Schuman Story" (1954). Early TV appearances included the '' Producers' Showcase'' adaptation of ''
Our Town ''Our Town'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written", it presents the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 ...
'' starring
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
and
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...
. She was Young Cathy in a '' Matinee Theatre'' adaptation of ''
Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is the only novel by the English author Emily Brontë, initially published in 1847 under her pen name "Ellis Bell". It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the ...
''. Fabares had small parts in '' The Girl Rush'' (1955), '' Never Say Goodbye'' (1956), '' The Bad Seed'' (1956), '' Rock, Pretty Baby!'' (1956), '' Jeanne Eagels'' (1957), '' Marjorie Morningstar'' (1958), and '' Summer Love'' (1958). On TV she was in '' Captain Midnight'', ''
Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American marksman, sharpshooter and folk heroine who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoveris ...
'', '' Fury'', and '' Colgate Theatre''. She portrayed Moselle Corey on '' Annette'' (1958) starring
Annette Funicello Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. She began her professional career at age 12, becoming one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original ''The Mickey Mouse Club, Mickey Mouse Cl ...
. She guest starred on ''
Mr. Novak ''Mr. Novak'' is an American television drama (film and television), drama television series starring James Franciscus in the title role as a high school teacher. The series aired on NBC for two seasons, from 1963 to 1965. It won a Peabody Award ...
'', '' The Eleventh Hour'', ''
Arrest and Trial ''Arrest and Trial'' is a 90-minute American crime/legal drama series that ran during the 1963–1964 season on ABC, airing Sundays from 8:30-10 pm Eastern. Overview The majority of episodes consists of two segments. Set in Los Angeles, the ...
'', and ''
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'' (" Black Leather Jackets").


''The Donna Reed Show''

In 1958, Fabares landed the role of Mary Stone in the long-running family sitcom ''The Donna Reed Show''. This ran until 1966. Fabares quickly established herself as a favorite with teen audiences. "Donna Reed was simply an extraordinary woman, a woman of great strength, kindness, integrity and compassion," said Fabares later of her television mother.


Singer

Fabares' national popularity led to a recording contract and two "Top 40" hits, including "Johnny Angel", which went to number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in April 1962, and peaked at number 41 in the UK. It sold over one million copies and was certified
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
. She released an album, '' Shelley!''. "I was stunned about that, to put it mildly," she later said. "After all, I never could sing." This was followed by a second album, '' The Things We Did Last Summer'', which included two hit songs " Johnny Loves Me" (No. 21) and " The Things We Did Last Summer" (No. 46). In Canada she had three songs the Top 40 with ''Johnny Angel'' at No. 1 for three weeks, ''Johnny Loves Me'' at No. 24, and ''Ronnie, Call Me'' at No. 16 for two weeks. Fabares left ''The Donna Reed Show'' in 1963 (she would return periodically until its end in 1966) to pursue other acting opportunities. She released a third album, '' Teenage Triangle'' in 1963.


Film career

Fabares was one of the female leads in the surf film '' Ride the Wild Surf'' (1964). She was
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
's leading lady in '' Girl Happy'' (1965) for MGM and played the love interest of Peter Noone of
Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English rock and pop group formed in 1963 in Manchester and formerly fronted by singer Peter Noone. Known for their jaunty beat sound and Noone's often tongue-in-cheek vocal style, the Hermits charted with numerous tra ...
and sings Make Me Happy in '' Hold On!'' at the same studio. ''Filmink'' wrote in ''Girl Happy'' Fabares is "channelling Ann-Margret in ''
Viva Las Vegas ''Viva Las Vegas'' is a 1964 American rock and roll musical film directed by George Sidney, written by Sally Benson, choreographed by David Winters, and starring Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova, William Demarest and Nicky Blair ...
'' and doing it very well, too." MGM made a pilot for a TV series based on '' Meet Me in St. Louis'' with Fabares in the lead but no network was receptive to it. She was reunited with Elvis for '' Spinout'' (1966) at MGM and '' Clambake'' (1967), at United Artists. Sam Katzman cast her as the love interest of a young Hank Williams Jr. in '' A Time to Sing'' (1968).


TV guest spots

Film roles dried up in the late 1960s and Fabares went back to guest starring on shows like '' The Ghost & Mrs. Muir'', ''
Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...
'', '' Medical Center'', ''
Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by India, Egypt, China, Persia, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the M ...
'', '' Bracken's World'', and '' The Interns''. Fabares said she went through a period where she struggled to find work. "I went to bed on Tuesday having worked since I was 3. I got up Wednesday morning and didn't work for four years, went to bed Wednesday night after four years, got up and interviewed for a ''Mannix'' episode and started working again. I think this business is very cyclical. You go through busy times and you go through dead times." After ''
Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that originally aired for eight seasons on CBS from September 16, 1967, to March 13, 1975. The show was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer ...
'', she was in '' Longstreet'', '' Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law'', ''
Love, American Style ''Love, American Style'' is an American anthology comedy television series that aired on ABC from September 29, 1969, to January 11, 1974. The series was produced by Paramount Television. During the 1971–72 and 1972–73 seasons, it was a pa ...
'', '' Rockford Files'', '' McCloud'' and '' Cade's County''. "I wasn't a big risk-taker," she said later. "I should have been more aggressive. I was nervous and scared to try something really different." Fabares had supporting roles in television films like ''
Brian's Song ''Brian's Song'' is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the life of Brian Piccolo ( James Caan), a Chicago Bears football player stricken with terminal cancer, focusing on his friendship with teammate Gale Sayers ( Billy Dee Williams) ...
'' (1971) (playing the wife of Brian Piccolo, played by
James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...
), and '' Two for the Money'' (1972). Her performance in ''Brian's Song'' earned her a Golden Globe nomination.


''The Brian Keith Show'', ''The Practice''

Fabares had a regular role on '' The Brian Keith Show'' (1972–1974), known as ''The Little People'' during its first season, which lasted for 47 episodes. When the show ended she resumed guest shots: '' Police Story'', '' Ironside'', ''
The Rockford Files ''The Rockford Files'' is an American detective drama television series starring James Garner, aired on NBC from September 13, 1974, to January 10, 1980. Garner portrays Los Angeles private investigator Jim Rockford, with Noah Beery Jr. in th ...
'', ''
The Rookies ''The Rookies'' is an American police procedural series created by Rita Lakin that originally aired on ABC from September 11, 1972, to March 30, 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working in an unidentified city for ...
'', ''
Matt Helm Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilton (1916–2006). Helm is a U.S. government counter-agent, a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of ...
'', '' Medical Story'', '' Marcus Welby, M.D.'', ''
Barnaby Jones ''Barnaby Jones'' is an American detective fiction, detective television series starring Buddy Ebsen as a formerly retired investigator and Lee Meriwether as his widowed daughter-in-law. They run a private detective firm in Los Angeles, Califor ...
'', and ''
Spencer's Pilots ''Spencer's Pilots'' is an American Adventure (genre), adventure series that aired on CBS from September 17 to November 19, 1976. Created by Larry Rosen and developed by Alvin Sapinsley, the series stars Gene Evans.''The Tuscaloosa News'' (via As ...
''. She had a role in the television film ''Sky Heist'' (1975) and from 1976 to 1977 had a regular part on ''
The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy i ...
'' with
Danny Thomas Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz, (born January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) known professionally as Danny Thomas, was an American comedian, actor, singer, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in ''The Danny Thomas Show''. In additio ...
.


''Forever Fernwood'', ''One Day at a Time'' and ''Highcliffe Manor''

She then had a regular role on '' Forever Fernwood''. In 1978, Fabares played Francine Webster on the
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
sitcom '' One Day at a Time'', a role she reprised for the last three years of the show. "I was Francine, a rather villainous character," she said later. "She was wonderful. She saw the world only through her eyes, and it never occurred to her that other people didn't." She was also in episodes of ''
Lucan Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (3 November AD 39 – 30 April AD 65), better known in English as Lucan (), was a Roman poet, born in Corduba, Hispania Baetica (present-day Córdoba, Spain). He is regarded as one of the outstanding figures of the Imper ...
'', ''
Vega$ ''Vegas'' (stylized as ''Vega$'') is an American crime drama television series starring Robert Urich that aired on ABC from September 20, 1978, to June 3, 1981, with the pilot episode airing April 25, 1978. ''Vegas'' was produced by Aaron Spel ...
'', '' The Incredible Hulk'', ''
Hello, Larry ''Hello, Larry'' is an American sitcom television series created by Dick Bensfield and Perry Grant, starring McLean Stevenson. It aired on NBC from January 26, 1979, to April 30, 1980. Its broadcast run consisted of 38 episodes over two seasons. ...
'', and '' Fantasy Island''. Fabares was in the television film '' Pleasure Cove'' (1979), ''Donovan's Kid'' (1979), ''Friendships, Secrets and Lies'' (1979) and ''
The Great American Traffic Jam ''The Great American Traffic Jam'' (alternate title ''Gridlock'') is a 1980 American made-for-television movie which first aired on NBC on October 2, 1980. The comedy revolves around a large "all-star" cast getting stuck in a massive Los Angeles ...
'' (1980). She had the starring role in the TV series '' Highcliffe Manor'' (1979) but it only lasted six episodes.


1980s

In the 1980s Fabares could be seen on ''
Mork & Mindy ''Mork & Mindy'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 14, 1978, to May 27, 1982. A spin-off after a highly successful episode of ''Happy Days'', " My Favorite Orkan", it starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extrater ...
'', ''
Matt Houston ''Matt Houston'' is an American crime drama television series starring Lee Horsley as the title character, a wealthy oilman who holds a side job as a private investigator. Created by Lawrence Gordon and produced by Aaron Spelling, it origin ...
'', ''
The Love Boat ''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Wilford Lloyd Baumes that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1977, to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series pre ...
'', ''
Newhart ''Newhart'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from October 25, 1982, to May 21, 1990, with a total of 184 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. The series stars Bob Newhart and Mary Frann as an author and his wife, respe ...
'', and ''
Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...
''. She did a television film ''
Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday of May. It i ...
'' (1983) with
Mike Farrell Michael Joseph Farrell Jr. (born February 6, 1939) is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series '' M*A*S*H'' (1975–83). In addition, Farrell was a producer of '' Patch Adams'' (1998) starr ...
(who would later become her husband), as well as the films ''Suburban Beat'' (1985), ''
The Canterville Ghost "The Canterville Ghost" is a humorous short story by Oscar Wilde. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts as "The Canterville Ghost – A Hylo-Idealistic Romance: The Redemptive Heroine" in '' The Court and S ...
'' (1985), ''
Hot Pursuit Hot pursuit (also known as fresh or immediate pursuit) is the urgent and direct pursuit of a criminal suspect by peace officer, law enforcement officers, or by belligerents under international rules of engagement for military forces. Such a situa ...
'' (1987), and ''Run Till You Fall'' (1988).


''Coach''

In 1989, she won the role of Christine Armstrong Fox on the ABC sitcom '' Coach''. "Here was an intelligent, funny, well-written series," Fabares said "And the people putting it on wanted me to play a very successful, ambitious woman in it."Mirabella, Alan (November 28, 1989). "'Coach' is New Life for Shelley Fabaes". ''
Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...
'' p. E6.
The series originally struggled in the ratings until it shifted to play after ''
Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American television sitcom created by Matt Williams (producer), Matt Williams that originally aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May ...
''. It was a hit and played until 1997. For her work, Fabares was nominated twice for a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
, and, in 1994, she was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for her role as Mary Stone on ''The Donna Reed Show''. During the series' run Fabares appeared on '' Love or Money'' (1990), '' Deadly Relations'' (1993), '' The Great Mom Swap'' (1995), and ''A Nightmare Come True'' (1997).


Later career

After ''Coach'' ended in 1997, Fabares voiced the role of
Martha Kent Jonathan Kent and Martha Kent (often referred to as "Pa" and "Ma" Kent, respectively) are fictional characters in American comic books published by DC Comics. They are the adoptive parents of Superman, and live in the rural town of Smallville (co ...
on '' Superman: The Animated Series''. She reprised the role twice, once in ''
Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
'' and again for the
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
film '' Superman: Brainiac Attacks'' (2006). She was in ''Playing to Win: A Moment of Truth Movie'' (1998). From 2004 to 2011 she produced the
Screen Actors Guild Awards Screen Actors Guild Awards (also known as SAG Awards) are accolades given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). The award was founded in 1995 to recognize outstanding performances in movie an ...
.


Personal life

In 1964, Fabares married producer Lou Adler. They separated in 1966 and divorced in 1980. Since 1984, she has been married to actor
Mike Farrell Michael Joseph Farrell Jr. (born February 6, 1939) is an American actor, best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the television series '' M*A*S*H'' (1975–83). In addition, Farrell was a producer of '' Patch Adams'' (1998) starr ...
. In October 2000, Fabares received a liver transplant after being diagnosed with
autoimmune hepatitis Autoimmune hepatitis, formerly known as lupoid hepatitis, plasma cell hepatitis, or autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, is a chronic, autoimmune disease of the liver that occurs when the body's immune system attacks liver cells, causing the liv ...
.


Filmography


Discography


Studio albums

* '' Shelley!'' --
Colpix Records Colpix Records was the first recording company for Columbia Pictures–Screen Gems. Colpix got its name from combining Columbia (Col) and Pictures (Pix). CBS, which owned Columbia Records, then sued Columbia Pictures for trademark infringement o ...
CP-426 (Mono)/SCP-426 (Stereo) — No. 106, July 62 * '' The Things We Did Last Summer''—Colpix CP-431/SCP-431 — No. 121, 10/62 * '' Teenage Triangle''—Colpix CP-444/SCP-444 — No. 48, May 63 ::Featuring four tracks each by Shelley, James Darren and Paul Petersen * ''Bye Bye Birdie''—Colpix CP-454/SCP-454—1963 ::Songs from the movie sung by Shelley,
The Marcels The Marcels were an American doo-wop group known for turning popular music songs into rock and roll. The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and signed to Colpix Records with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, ...
, James Darren and Paul Petersen * ''More Teenage Triangle''—Colpix CP-468/SCP-468—1964 ::Second compilation featuring Shelley, James Darren and Paul Petersen


Soundtrack songs

* "Spring Fever" (1965) with
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
from '' Girl Happy'' (The soundtrack album only features Elvis' vocals) * "Make Me Happy" (March 1966) from '' Hold On!''
MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...
* "Next Time I Say Goodbye I'm Leaving" (1968) from soundtrack of '' A Time to Sing (Music From The Original Soundtrack)''
MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc. established in 1972, though MCA had released recordings under that name in the UK from the 1960s. The label achieved success in the 1970s through the 1980s, often by acquiring other ...
– MCA-1458


Compilations

* ''Rare Items And Big Hits''
Colpix Records Colpix Records was the first recording company for Columbia Pictures–Screen Gems. Colpix got its name from combining Columbia (Col) and Pictures (Pix). CBS, which owned Columbia Records, then sued Columbia Pictures for trademark infringement o ...
(1989) * ''The Best of Shelley Fabares''
Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
R2 71651—1994 * ''Shelley Fabares Johnny Angel''
Collectables Records Collectables Records is an American reissue record label, founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Greene also formed the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels. History It maintains a catalogue of over 3,400 active titles on compact disc, with thousands ...
No. 9931 July 2005 * ''Shelley Fabares Meets Paul Petersen'' Collectables Records July 2009 * ''Growing Up-The 1962 Recordings'' Jasmine Records 2014


Singles


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fabares, Shelley 1944 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Santa Monica, California American child actresses American child singers American women pop singers American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Colpix Records artists Liver transplant recipients Musicians from Santa Monica, California Vee-Jay Records artists California Democrats Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players